


Fox Hunt

by AlternativeAngel



Series: Not All Heroes Wear Capes [1]
Category: Miraculous Ladybug
Genre: Alternate Universe - No Chat Noir, Alternate Universe - No Ladybug, F/M, Fox Miraculous, Fox!Marinette, Fu isn't taking any chances, Kwami Swap, Most of the Miraculouses are missing, Peacock Miraculous, So it's up to Marinette to find and retrieve them for Fu, Who is Jay Bleu, because with the entire Zodiac AND the butterfly and peacock missing
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2018-10-14
Updated: 2019-07-18
Packaged: 2019-08-01 18:57:14
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 3
Words: 8,330
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/16289972
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/AlternativeAngel/pseuds/AlternativeAngel
Summary: Years ago, the Peacock and Butterfly were lost, seemingly forever.Years later, the rest of the Miraculouses were lost as well, in a bid to keep them safe. Now only the Ladybug and Black Cat remain, with the Turtle to watch over them.Fu has been a poor Guardian, but he's finally found at least one of them. The Fox. Maybe this is the start to him redeeming himself and recovering all that has been lost.Now, if only he could find a truly worthy wielder.---Marinette isn't sure she's cut out for this. She's been a doormat her entire life, and she can barely keep track of her own stuff. How on earth does anyone expect her to not only find the lost Miraculouses but also steal them back?And to make matters worse, there's Jay Bleu, some kind of vigilante obviously working with the Peacock Miraculous. He's hot on her tail, and he's determined to stop her at every corner.All she did was save an old man from getting run over. Why her?





	1. You Can Do This!

**Author's Note:**

> I'm not impressed with how ML has handled the powers for the different Miraculous, and I'm not impressed with the plot either.
> 
> So, I dusted this off and decided to try my hand.
> 
> cross-posted on my tumblr:  
> http://alternative27angel.tumblr.com/post/179029065264/fox-hunt

They say every person comes to a crossroad in their life. A choice of two paths, one that will become the best decision you ever made, and one that you'll regret til the end of your days

Marinette Dupain-Cheng hadn't quite decided which path her current one could be considered, but scurrying around the edge of a tower in the dead of night wasn't what her fourteen-year-old self had in mind when she'd stopped to help an old man.

A pigeon giving her the bird-version of a side-eye wasn't doing her any favors either.

"Don't mind me, Jacques, just running a little errand." She waved distractedly as she made her way over to one of the filthier windows on this side of the building. According to the schematics, the third window from the right should be the one for the file room. Would be nice if she could actually see inside to confirm, though…

Guess all she could do was hope and pray for the best, then.

Shifting her flute into a narrower shape, she jammed it underneath window and quickly levered it open. Dust and metal flooded her nose as she took in the room. The large room with file cabinets and shelves. With _walls and walls_ of file cabinets and shelves. All most definitely filled to the brim with documents and security footage.

"Well, it's definitely the file room…" With a sigh, she made her way inside and started scanning the labels for what she needed.

2001, 1999, 1997, 1995… 1993, there we go. Now, which of the 8 boxes could it be…?

Her ears caught the sound of footsteps echoing on a staircase, charging their way up to her floor. Why would they...?

A red light blinked out of the corner of her eye, and with a groan, she turned to look at the camera she didn't even think to watch out for. Oh, Trixx was probably _loving_ this right now.

Time for Plan B. Well, technically Plan G, but it's not like anybody else had to know that.

Still trying to keep some level of stealth (if for no other reason than to salvage her wounded pride), she whisper-yelled the command, "Fox Sense," and tapped her flute against her head.

Immediately, a strong smell of plastic assaulted her senses, and her eyes were drawn to the box on the highest shelf. She crawled her way up and yanked off the lid, rifling through the tapes as quickly as she could without making too much noise. A shock raced across her palm, prompting her to look at the label on the tape currently in her hand.

15/03/1993 'Frelon Roi Goes Dark'

Gotcha.

Moving fast, she tossed the lid on, slid the box back into place, and leapt over to the window just as footsteps reached door. By the time the security staff burst into the file room, she was already outside and running across a roof two buildings over.

Giddiness overcame her as she realized that–despite screwing up with the camera–she'd managed to make a clean escape _with_ her loot. And no birdbrain in sight! Looks like her luck was finally turning around-

_Shwing!_

Unable to help the little scream that escaped her, she quickly leapt back from the hardened feather embedded in the roof mere inches from where she'd been a second ago. A rustle in the wind was all the warning she had before a dark blue shape was dropping down on her from a nearby building, forcing her to fling herself off her own in an effort to get away.

Down in the street, she sprinted a few yards to put some distance between them before pivoting to face her pursuer, whom had quickly made his way down to the lower level as well.

"Shouldn't you be in bed, young lady?" drawled a familiar voice, casual tone belying the blackened eyes latching onto the tape in her hand and bringing a pinched look to his masked face.

If Marinette had any hope of getting out of this with the tape in her possession, she could not engage in a direct fight. Time and again, he managed to snatch every piece of evidence she had ever managed to find, and she couldn’t afford to lose this one too. They _needed_ this.

A quiet beeping from her necklace reminded her that she was also on borrowed time. She scanned her surroundings as subtly as possible whilst distracting the Peacock.

“Oh, Jay Bleu. The sky is clear, the breeze is sweet, and the city of Paris is at peace. Can’t a girl just enjoy a beautiful night every once in a while?”

There was an alley two buildings down. Narrow spaces wouldn’t do her many favors, but if she remembered right, that alley was a shortcut to the Seine…

Taking a menacing step forward, Jay shifted a couple more feathers into his hands. “Young women need their beauty sleep, my dear. That’s why everyone is currently resting safe in their homes.” Sirens sounded in the distance, tugging a smirk onto his lips. “Well, most of them, anyway. I’m afraid someone has disturbed our esteemed officers’ sleep.”

“Well, that hardly has anything to do with me,” she blithely denied, keeping eye-contact with him as she slowly circled around him and tightened her grip on her flute. She had to time it right, or he would be on her in no time.

Jay Bleu rolled his eyes. “Fox, let’s not waste our time tonight. We both know how this ends. Just give me the tape and go on home, before your time runs out.”

She stiffened, just as another beep sounded in her ears.

A sigh escaped him, letting his eyes close briefly before he fixed her with a flat look. “Even if I couldn’t hear it, that necklace of yours is painfully obvious, blinking light and all.”

Almost there. “Come on, can’t you let me have a win for once, Jay?” she pleaded, lacing her voice with false sweetness. “It’s not gentlemanly to keep denying a lady like this. If you're not careful, girls might start hating you~”

He rolled his eyes a second time.

So close. She shifted her weight onto the balls of her feet. “Also, the name isn’t Fox.”

_Almost._

She gestured at the pot of red flowers next to her. “It’s Camellia!” she stated, pride seeping into her tone as he took the bait, glancing over at it.

**Now.**

“Those aren’t-” _Thwack!_ Her flute struck hard at his ankle, and down he went. “Shit!”

Not even pausing to see if he’d hit the ground, she made a break for it. First to the alley, which would hopefully have enough debris for her throw in Jay Bleu’s way. Then, it would only be a sprint to the bridge-!

A feather just barely brushed her cheek, forcing her to duck to the left and-against her better judgement-peer behind her. Jay Bleu had already gotten his feet under him and was pelting after her, a dark glare making his already intimidating gaze even more terrifying. She didn’t even hesitate to grab the nearest thing (a trashcan lid) and sling it at him.

The _oof!_ behind her assured that she’d hit her mark, and she used the opportunity to put on an extra burst of speed, using whatever she could grab onto to fling herself even further away from her pursuer and leaving it lying in his path.

Another beep sounded, signaling that she had only two minutes left. If she didn’t make it, she was done for.

Desperation was fueling her as she burst out of the alley and sped out into the open. The cursing and crashing behind her said that Jay Bleu wasn’t far behind, so if she was going to do this, it had to be now.

Reaching into the pouch on her hip, she spun around and made eye-contact one last time with the boy behind her. Unable to resist, she smiled smugly and threw down the smoke bomb.

As smoke exploded into the air, she sprinted for the little bridge and promptly flung herself over it.

The Seine rushed up to meet her for just a second before she used her paw pads grab onto the side of the bridge and catch herself. She scrambled as quickly and quietly as possible to the underside and then waited.

Footsteps pounded overhead, reaching the middle and pausing as the boy gasped for breath. Nothing could be heard, save for the sound of his coughing every few seconds.

She held her breath and then suddenly remembered, wrapping one hand around her miraculous just before it beeped again, muffling the sound.

A few more seconds passed by, and the fox began to fear that her time would run out first. But someone must’ve been taking mercy on her, because after coughing rather hard one more time, Jay Bleu cursed and ran away, apparently having given up and simply deciding to try a random direction.

After waiting a little to see if he’d come back, she let out the breath she was holding in a big sigh of relief, shoulders beginning to relax. And just like that, orange light engulfed her and took away the fox guise, leaving simple Marinette behind.

Simple Marinette that had no way of holding onto the underside of a cement bridge.

She barely had time to scream before she fell into the river, a big splash erupting as she hit the water hard. She re-emerged, coughing and sputtering as she treaded water to keep herself afloat.

“Well,” she sighed, “that could’ve gone worse. At least I got...” Her eyes snapped open wide.

Video tape + water = OH NO!

Before she could begin to panic though, a deep, soothing voice called out, “No worries, Mari. I’ve got it.”

There, floating above her, was a little fox with large ears and slanted eyes glimmering with amusement. And in their paws was the video tape…!

Marinette couldn’t help her giggle of relief. She waved up at him in glee. “Thank God you’re here, Trixx!”

A chuckle responded back at her. “No no, you did all the work, Mari. We’re still a little rough, but this is the proof that you’ve got what it takes.” They swooped down to hover just a little in front of her face, a foxy grin aimed at her. “Congratulations on your first successful heist, _Camellia_!”

Marinette’s responding smile was blinding as the reality settled in. She’d finally done it! She’d finally beaten Jay Bleu and recovered her first piece of the puzzle to finding the other missing Miraculouses. She could actually do this!

“Yes!” She thrust her fists up in victory. Maybe this was the right choice after all.


	2. First Days Are Rough pt. 1

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> (This turned into a long "origins" chapter, so I decided to break it up in two.)
> 
> The first day of school is rough, especially with old blonde adversaries and new ones.

Two Weeks Ago

Golden light reflected off the pendant resting inside a glass case. It was shaped like a curled fox tail and lined in gold, curiously dividing the tail into five sections. Wayzz was practically vibrating in his pocket, barely restraining himself from flying right into the case and snatching the pendant in plain sight of everyone.

Fu patted his pocket gently, half to bring his partner to his senses and half to keep himself from doing the very same thing.

"How did you come across this little trinket here?" he idly conversed with the woman behind the counter. "It certainly doesn't seem of the same stock as your other merchandise."

The shop keeper hummed as she recalled the memory. "Would you believe me if I told you it had found me?" She reached behind case and carefully caressed the pendant. "Five years ago, I was out late, drinking with friends. I'd just gotten my shop set up and my grand opening was the next day, so we decided to have a little party to celebrate."

Her eyes darkened as she continued. "But on my way home, a couple of guys started following me. At first, it was…  _fine_. All they were doing was whistling at me and giggling at whatever they thought was funny. But after a while, they started getting mad-shouting stuff, you know? I was getting pretty freaked out, and when one threw a bottle at the wall by me, I took off running."

He let out a dismayed sound, making to offer his condolences, but she shrugged them off.

"Of course, they started chasing me too, and I was getting really scared by that point. So, I panicked. I ran straight for the nearby park, hid under one of the benches, and closed my eyes." She let out a sardonic laugh. "Like a little kid: if I can't see them, they can't see me. But the weirdest thing happened…"

"Hm?"

"They really  _didn't_  see me. They ran right past me. Didn't stop for even a second! When I opened my eyes, I was all alone in the park. And hanging off the end of the bench I was hiding under-was this," she held the fox pendant up to him and tapped it softly.

"Really now?" Fu was intrigued. Was it possible that Trixx had…?

Another quiet laugh interrupted his thoughts. "I know it sounds like superstitious nonsense, but I really do think this little thing was protecting me that night."

"Oh no, I assure you, I've never been one to turn a blind eye to machinations of forces beyond our knowledge." He gently clapped her shoulder, trying to imbue as much sincerity as possible. "There is not a doubt in my mind that this necklace had a role in guaranteeing your safety that night."

She smiled in gratitude and then sighed. "I keep putting it up front, hoping whomever lost it might stop by one day and happen to recognize it, but no luck. Seems a shame for it to have no home of its own now, after what it did for me."

Fu took a deep breath. Well, that's what he was here for. And hopefully he could get the others back home too.

Hopefully.

* * *

"Master, I know you're not in your prime anymore, but I really must question if it's wise to trust another." Wayzz flailed about in the elevator, worry pinching his face. "We've made this mistake before, and it cost us dearly."

His partner sighed tiredly, nodding in agreement and thumbing the newly acquired pendant in his pocket. "I understand your concern, old friend. But unfortunately, we have little choice. Hawkmoth may be staying to the shadows for now, but if we should show, that would be all clue he needs to know that the Ladybug and Black Cat are within his grasp. And I shudder to think what he would unleash to get them."

The little turtle hummed thoughtfully, following after Fu as the elevator reached the floor to their apartment. Once inside, he swung around to face the old man once more. "Then, what shall we do? How will we find someone truly worthy of our trust?"

A chuckle interrupted the pair, bringing their attention to the now glowing pendant. "Isn't it obvious, my dear Wayzz? We must go on a hunt of our own."

* * *

There were few things Marinette didn't expect to go wrong in her life. Despite her parents' boundless optimism and enthusiasm for everything involving their daughter, there was no power in the world that could help a total klutz that always over thought every little thing until she'd given herself a panic attack. There's no cure for your own self, after all.

So, old man getting almost run over? Scary, but not unbelievable.

Losing nearly all of her Papa's macaroons in said old man's rescue? Unfortunate, but unsurprising.

Tripping over her own feet and spilling the rest of the macaroons to the floor? Truthfully, she had been expecting that.

But coming back from lunch to this new kid sticking gum onto her seat before even meeting her? That was a low blow. From the universe  _and_  from this-

"Hey, you jerk!" Alya leapt to her defense, getting in between her and Chloe's friend as if she were a shield. "I get that people like you think you're better than everybody else. But news flash: you're a whole lot worse. And everybody here can see it."

Looking around showed that most of the class was paying attention to their confrontation, and Marinette drew strength from seeing everyone else either glaring at the gruesome twosome-now-threesome or shooting sympathetic looks at her.

She drew a fortifying breath and laid a hand on her new friend's shoulder before bringing her gaze back to the pair of green eyes that seemed perhaps a little contrite. At least it seemed like that jab had hit the mark.

"It's okay, Alya. Let's just take our seats. After all," she made sure to cut her eyes back to the obvious mastermind of this stunt, "they're not worth it."

And with that, she laid a handkerchief over the gum and primly sat down, not deigning to look at either blonde. A reluctant Alya joined her shortly after.

"You sure it's okay to leave it like that? They're just going to do it again, you know." She turned to Marinette with a doubtful twist to her mouth.

The other girl waved her concern off. "It's fine. I think I'm at quota for dealing with jerks today anyway."

* * *

Marinette wasn't a big believer in karma. How could anybody be when confronted daily with the worst human on the planet in the form of one miss Chloe Bourgeois?

Still. When she'd saved that old man from meeting the front end of a car, she figured she at least deserved  _some_  mercy. Maybe she couldn't have Chloe not be in her class, maybe she had to deal with a _new_ jerk in her class, maybe she couldn't go one day without tripping over her own feet.

But this?

Icy gray eyes stared up at her from the ground, set in the face of one of the most attractive boys she had ever seen. Eyes that were steadily getting colder as the seconds passed.

Though, to be fair, she was currently pinning him to the ground.

After tackling him down a flight of steps.

In public.

"I'MSORRYI'MSORRYI'MSORRY!" She flung herself off the boy, screaming apologies as she scuttled backwards onto the steps. The blond didn't pay her any mind as he slowly sat up and checked himself over for injuries.

Seeming to find himself unscathed, he turned that frigid gaze back on her. Before he could say anything, she shouted again, "I am so so so so  _sooo_  sorry!"

The boy narrowed his eyes, giving her a once over before opening his mouth to-

"I really didn't mean to do that! Or anything like it! I don't tackle people! Except when I'm goofing around–not that I was goofing! I was just in a hurry to get home and I wasn't looking and there were people and my feet and before I knew it, I was tumbling down the steps, and you were there, and-!"

"Do you ever shut up?"

At that, she froze, staring back at the boy now standing across from her, arms folded as he glared down at her sprawled form. Letting out a sigh, he pulled his cell phone out and tapped out a quick text before pocketing it once more.

A brow rose at her still paralyzed on the ground and a snort escaped. "Were you planning to take a nap there, or did that fall knock loose whatever sense you had left?"

Something inside Marinette crackled at that, like kindling for a fire. A fire that had been quietly blazing throughout the years under Chloe's thumb. A fire that had been stoked upon meeting Alya, someone that insisted on not letting things slide. On standing up to people.

Especially people like this… this…

" _Ass_ ," she snarled. Ignoring his startled look, she hauled herself to her feet and stomped right into his space, glaring up at him with her fists clenched.

" _What_  did you just call me?" There was incredulity followed by outrage, and he loomed over her as if daring her to repeat herself.

For a second, she faltered, taken aback as she realized just how tall he was. But she quickly recovered and straightened her spine, refusing to let yet another person walk all over her.

"You heard me." She poked him in the chest with her finger. "I knocked you over. And that was my fault, but that  _does not_  give you any right to treat me like an idiot!"

He didn't even flinch. "Because you are an idiot. If you had paid the least bit of attention, you would have noticed-"

"Ex _cuse_  me?"

Before she could draw more breath to let out what was sure to be a scream of indignation, a deep chuckle filled the air, drawing both boy and girl's attention to the giant of a man leaning against an extremely expensive-looking car, watching the two with something that could've been amusement.

Her brows furrowed, but then another voice joined in, bright and cheerful. "Felix! You didn't have to come with him to pick me up!"

A sigh blew by her ear, startling her. The blond ( _Felix?_ ) turned around to greet the newcomer. "What, and leave you to ride home alone and worry about Father?" Fondness laced throughout the teasing tone, stunning her.

Who on earth could make a frigid jerk like this sound so warm all of a sudden?

And then another blond entered her field of vision, only this one was not quite so new. Golden locks fluttered in the breeze as Chloe's friend hopped the last couple steps to reach them, an excited smile lifting his features, only to immediately fall when he caught sight of Marinette.

"Oh."

He didn't have a chance to follow up on that, because Felix didn't give it. He immediately grabbed the other's hand and made straight for the car, hurrying him in. "Come on, we can't afford for you to be late home on top of everything else." A quick glance back was all that either afforded her before settling inside and shutting the door.

The car quickly peeled off into the street, becoming little more than a speck in no time.

An arm wound around her shoulders as a body leaned into hers. "Woo, I guess evil is a family trait around here?"

"Alya!" she started, before the last couple minutes finally caught up with her and began to process. She'd been leaving the building with Alya, offering to walk home together so that maybe they could grab a coffee together, and then… That happened.

Which means she'd been there for the whole thing…

"Please please  _please_  tell me you didn't see that happen!"

A delighted chuckle dashed her hopes. "Girl, you bet I did. Why didn't you tell me you had that kind of spirit? It was incredible! And look." She brought her phone, showing a paused video of Marinette standing on her tiptoes and getting right in that Felix guy's face. "I even got some of that recorded!"

"Alya, you have to delete that!" she pleaded, lunging for the phone that was quickly yanked out of her reach.

She wagged her finger in the other girl's face. "Ah ah! This is our debut! The dynamic duo, Mari and Aly, uncovering the true faces of evil and confronting them, one blond baddie at a time!"

Marinette had no words to convey how very much she did not want that, thank you very much. She was quite content just coasting along underneath everyone's radar until lycée, where she would be too immersed in professionnel courses to have time to be clumsy or make a fool of herself, thus leading to a bright, successful career as an upcoming fashion designer with one cat, one dog, and a hamster!

And if her parents saw that footage, she'd have an earful from her papa– _at the very least_. Her parents raised a good girl that did not pick fights with anybody, no matter how unpleasant they were.

_And on top of everything, she even cursed at him!_

…She had to get that phone.

Alya started walking off, entirely focused on her phone. "Well, I'll see you tomorrow!"

"Wait!" An idea popped into her head and she hastily pasted on a wide smile. "Drop by my place first. Mama and Papa are always ready to give out free samples, and I feel bad I only had one measly macaroon."

She didn't wait for a response before wheeling Alya around and making for the bakery.

"Hey, that macaroon was good," she tried to placate. "But I really should get home and edit this footage…"

"Nonsense! It goes against my bakers' daughter's… honor! To let a friend go unsatisfied!"

"Well, if you say so… Then, how could I refuse? Lead on, bakers' daughter!"

The two girls giggled and quickly made their way down the street, oblivious to the eyes tracking them from across the street.

"Kind and helpful, but not afraid of confrontation," noted Wayzz from his place in his master's pocket.

Fu stroked his beard thoughtfully. "She has both heart and courage, yes. But will that be enough?"

"Mm," chimed a deep voice from inside Fu's shirt. "Hawkmoth has proven to be incredibly sly to have hidden all these years whilst searching for the other Miraculouses. We will need someone clever enough to outfox that one."

"Indeed." Heads both large and tiny nodded in agreement. "We will simply remain observers for now."

* * *

As Marinette had expected, her parents were ecstatic at her bringing a friend over for the first time in forever and had proceeded to ply her with treat after treat. She would honestly be surprised if she didn't have to roll Alya out of here before her parents were done.

This worked just fine for her. With Mama and Papa keeping Alya occupied, she had ample opportunity to get the job done.

Working under the pretense of helping out, she went into the back and picked up a tray of cream puffs that were on the cooling rack. Luckily, they weren't filled yet, so they were still pretty light.

She took a quick peek through the window to confirm their positions and then burst through the door, rushing towards the three. "Papa, are these ready to be fil-!"

Pretending to slip, she stumbled forward, crashing into Alya and sending both girls flying. Before either could crash to the floor, her papa caught them both, Marinette managing to keep hold of the tray the entire time.

"Careful!" he cautioned. After checking them over for any injuries, he sighed. "Marinette, I appreciate the help, but please don't rush like that. You both could have been hurt."

His daughter nodded contritely. "Sorry, Papa. I'll try to be more careful. Let me just take these back real quick."

Before anyone could say anything else, she sped back into the kitchen. Once the doors swung shut, she heaved a sigh of relief and triumphantly pulled out Alya's phone from underneath the tray.

"Now, just have to delete this real quick!"

Hidden behind a bag of flour, green eyes watched her expectantly.

Once the deed was done, she slowly crawled out and scuttled over to the table Alya was standing near, placing the phone underneath and then scrambling back behind the counter.

Quickly, she popped up and grinned at the others. "The cream puffs are safe and sound!"

Her mama cast a relieved smile her way. "Good to hear, sweetheart."

"Yeah! It'd be pretty bad if you lost anymore of these awesome pastries!" Alya teased as she stuffed another éclair in her mouth. As she licked her fingers, something caught her attention. "Oh! I must've dropped my phone!"

She lunged for it and immediately checked for any signs of damage.

Marinette sidled over and peered over her shoulder. "All good?"

A sigh escaped Alya and she peered back at her friend a little helplessly. "Sorry, girl. Looks like the fall deleted that footage of you and that guy."

"Oh darn, what a bummer," she shook her head consolingly and then shrugged with feigned nonchalance. "Guess we'll have our debut some other time."

As her friend bemoaned the lost opportunity, Marinette patted her back, unknowing of the gaze that had followed her throughout her little scheme.

Clever. Yes, very clever.

* * *

By the time Alya had finally escaped her parents' grasp and started making her way home, Marinette was beyond exhausted. Today had been an emotional roller coaster–and a bit of a physical one as well. She'd made so many acquaintances with the ground.

Right as her body flopped onto the bed, a sharp pain dug into her stomach, sending her right back up.

"OW!" She gently rubbed over the spot and picked up the culprit: a six-sided box, black with an ornate, Chinese design in red. "Where'd this come from?"

If her mama and papa had gotten her something, they'd have just given it to her downstairs. And she certainly hadn't bought anything like this before. She preferred floral designs…

Curious to see if there was anything inside, she quickly lifted the lid. The blinding light that followed was certainly not what she expected.

"Bonjour! My name is Trixx. It's so nice to meet you, Marinette!"

**Nor was the weird thing that came out!**

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Decided to make Adrien successful at reaching school on the first day here.
> 
> Since this story is going to be exclusively Marinette's POV for most of the beginning, the explanation never comes up in-story, but you guys can thank Felix for that one. He took pity on his brother and covered his ass while Adrien snuck out.
> 
> Since this is going to be a lot more plot-driven than episodic, be prepared for a bit of an info dump next chapter. I apologize in advance.
> 
> Let me know what you think with my version of how Fu chose Marinette. I'm worried that I got a little lost in the weeds there by giving him too much focus…  
> And here's hoping Felix turned out alright for the little bit of screen time I gave him.


	3. First Days Are Rough pt. 2

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> (This got… really away from me. Wow.)
> 
> First days are already overwhelming without magical quests and super villains being thrown into the mix.

It was a mouse?? A fox??? A flying mouse-fox!?

Whatever it was, it had Marinette screaming in terror and flinging everything she could to get it away from her. Not that that seemed to bother it. It just kept staring at her and occasionally swaying side to side to avoid whatever got too close to making contact.

"Marinette," it called out, "take a deep breath. I'm not a mouse or a fox– _technically speaking_. I'm a kwami, and I can explain everything."

She took a deep breath as it suggested, and then proceeded to babble more.

The kwami-thing quickly flew over and held a paw in front of her face. "But it's kinda hard to talk when you're panicking like that."

Being so close to it startled Marinette into silence. The kwami sighed in relief and flew back a few feet to give her space.

"Now then. My name is Trixx, and as I just said, I'm a kwami. I'm here because you've been chosen to help us save the Miraculous from falling into the hands of evil. Any questions?"

Marinette blinked.

"Uh… _yeah_. First off, what's a kwami, where'd you come from, what are Miraculous, what do you mean by "hands of evil", who is "us", and-" here she lunged forward and got right into Trixx's face "-WHY ME?"

Trixx, startled despite their self, held up both paws and backed further away. "Excellent questions! Let's work on volume, though. No one can know I exist, and that goes for your parents too. Secrecy is of the utmost importance."

"Uh…"

"Don't worry, I'll explain everything later," the kwami waved away her various questions. "For now, just know that kwami are god-like beings, born at the very beginning of existence, that grant magical powers unto humans–and we can be abused if we fall into the wrong hands."

A solemn pause followed that ominous note. ' _As they are now,_ ' went unspoken. Marinette could read between the lines well enough to get that much.

After a breath, Trixx continued, "Now, as I am the kwami of the Fox Miraculous, I grant the power of Knowledge… But more on that later! As for your other questions, the easiest way to answer them is for us to meet with my companions. Come!"

Faster than Marinette could catch, the kwami had zipped past her and phased right through the trapdoor.

"Hey, wait! Hold on a second!"

Sparing a thought to wonder at why she was even going after the weird creature, Marinette stuffed the box into her purse and then ran off in hot pursuit.

* * *

 

She had chased Trixx several blocks now, and it was really starting to wear on her.

Every time she was close to catching up, the two would come across someone and then Trixx would hide away. She couldn't exactly hunt for them with others watching nearby, so she'd have to wait until the person had either left or wasn't paying attention. Then, she'd crouch and climb as inconspicuously as possible around everything until she'd finally find Trixx. And bam, they'd take off again!

Lather, rinse, repeat.

Now it would be sunset soon, Marinette had a growing stitch in her side, and it seemed like Trixx had been leading her in circles. At this rate, she'd just have to qui-

"We're here!" chimed what was now becoming a familiar voice.

Gasping with relief (and a desperate need for air), she gazed up at their destination from her hunched over position. The building didn't _seem_ like the type of place where magical creatures resided in secret…

Following the kwami's instruction, she made her way up to the massage shop and knocked on the door.

"Are you sure this is the right place?" she whispered, peering surreptitiously into her purse, where the kwami was tucked out of sight.

"Of course. Just trust me."

The old man that answered the door had not been what she was expecting. Especially since she recognized him.

" _You!_ "

He nodded. "Me, yes. And I have been waiting for _you_ , young lady." Opening the door wider, he stepped aside and gestured for her to enter.

After making sure she was settled in, the old man procured four cups of tea. Handing one cup to her, setting two down between them, and keeping another for himself, he then sat across from her.

"Um…"

"Much obliged, sir!" With a pleased hum, Trixx zipped out from their hiding place and settled in front of one of the other two cups, exhaling a pleased sigh after taking a surprisingly delicate sip.

Ignoring Marinette's spluttering, the old man called out behind him. "I made some for you as well, Wayzz."

A green creature–about the same size as Trixx–flitted across the room and claimed the last cup of tea for themselves. Closer inspection revealed it was more turtle-like than fox-like, but it was about as close to one as Trixx was to the other.

The old man took the chance to scrutinize her, making her sit ramrod straight and almost spill her drink. However, after a moment, he chuckled and sent her a comforting smile.

"No need to be so tense, Marinette. My name is Wang Fu, and this is my partner, Wayzz. I imagine you have things you want to ask."

Trixx interrupted before she could even attempt to get her thoughts in order. "Ah yes, she wanted to know the usual things. You know, who are we, what are we, who are the bad guys. Standard stuff."

Fu hummed in understanding. "Well, to answer that, in order: I am the Guardian of the Miraculous and the kwami that inhabit them, and I was chosen many years ago to wield the Turtle Miraculous. Just as you have been chosen now to wield the Fox. It is an honor very few are considered worthy of. As for "bad guys" and what we're doing, that is a bit more complicated…"

At that, he trailed off and focused on his tea instead.

The silence stretched on, but the old man didn't seem inclined to continue.

"If… if you're asking me to help you with whatever it is you're doing, I need to know what I'm getting into."

He looked back up, and this time Marinette didn't flinch as they made eye contact. She wanted to shrink as his eyes narrowed and seemed to peer even harder into her. It was as if he was measuring her worth, and she couldn't help but feel he would only find her wanting.

Still, nothing in the world was going to make her sign up for some magical, obviously dangerous task with high stakes before telling her just _how_ dangerous and important it was.

The old man hummed and then nodded in acquiescence. "A fair point. We are asking quite a lot, and it would not do to send you out there unprepared. Very well."

Slowly climbing to his feet, he made his way over to the gramophone and dragged his fingertips along the gold designs. After a moment, seeming to gather himself, he turned back to Marinette.

"For centuries, there has been a temple devoted to safe-guarding the Miraculous, vessels of power that–when inhabited by kwami–imbue their wearers with incredible abilities. However, that ended a hundred years ago when one of the monks foolishly trusted a person with ill-intentions."

Here he paused, and Marinette noted the old man's fists were beginning to clench so tightly that the knuckles had turned white. 

"The temple was destroyed and-" his breath hitched "-and most of the monks with it."

The kwamis shared a solemn look before Wayzz flew over to comfort his master. Likewise, Trixx floated down to settle by Marinette's hand, patting it gently whilst keeping their attention on the old man as he gathered himself.

"In a desperate act to save the Miraculous, that foolish monk did the only thing he could think of."

Fu turned back to the gramophone and fiddled with a secret panel to punch in the combination. "In the beginning, there were nineteen Miraculous. Many centuries ago, we lost the Peacock and Butterfly. And 300 years later…" 

He stepped back to reveal a large black box with a multitude of compartments. Marinette got up and moved to peer inside. 

Every single one was empty.

"I myself lost all the others," he finished, a broken sigh escaping him, before lifting the top lid which hid the largest chamber of all. "All but these. The most powerful of them all: the Black Cat and the Ladybug."

Marinette took a moment to study the innocent-looking ring and pair of earrings before noticing the empty orange cavity. With a gasp of recognition, she hurriedly yanked the small box from her purse and opened it. Sure enough, the pendant inside matched the curled impression perfectly.

"You noticed my spot!" chimed a now familiar voice. Trixx flitted over and spun a few times before alighting on what they'd claimed was their spot, admiring how little it had changed. Wayzz quickly joined them.

Chuckling, the old man drew Marinette's attention back to him.

"Trixx is the first I've found since then. And a lucky thing that is, since they are perfect for this sort of thing."

"But what sort of thing _is_ 'this'?" she asked, somewhat exasperated now.

The good humor left Fu's face. "'This' is a race against time. And against evil." Silence rang as the kwami focused back on the conversation. "The Butterfly has fallen into the hands of a cruel man, going by the name of Hawk Moth. He is after the other Miraculous, in order to have his wish granted. And to achieve that goal, he has taken to infecting people with his akuma, turning them into little more than puppets of his own design."

Marinette gasped. "That's impossible!"

...

The old man shot her a flat look and gestured towards the kwami.

Flushing, she clarified, "I mean it's not possible that's been happening. Not here. I'd have heard about it." She continued, a little desperate, "If a bunch of people were being possessed by some guy looking for magic jewelry, _someone_ would be talking about it. At the very least, there'd be rumors about it at school."

He shrugged. "I know not why or how he has managed to keep his methods so secret, but the kwami cannot be mistaken. They can sense that Nooroo is awake and being misused right at this moment."

At the sad nods Trixx and Wayzz gave her, Marinette swallowed audibly. "Then… how do _I_ fit into this? I can't even carry a box of pastries to school without destroying them, much less fight some super villain in hiding. I don't even know you! Why give Trixx to _me_?"

Fu smiled gently and led her back to their seats, letting them both get settled before continuing.

"I have been watching you, Marinette Dupain-Cheng," he admitted, cradling his tea. "And I have seen a girl with a wealth of courage, whom decides to help people before even considering what it would cost her."

"And quite a clever one at that!" Trixx chimed in. "Wayzz told us how you managed to cover your tracks earlier today. That was a good plan with the pastry tray and the phone." They zoomed into her face, eyes dancing and tail wagging. "You're exactly what I've been looking for in a wielder!"

Three pairs of eyes bore into her–one set cheerful and two sets cautious, but all were expectant. The room began to feel small and cramped, and Marinette clutched at her chest, trying to suck in air.

"I… I need so-some fresh air!"

She was out the door before anyone could respond.

* * *

 

Marinette took deep, heaving breaths as she hugged her knees, trying to calm down. So long as she didn't think about anything, she'd be fine. Just don't think, just don't think, just. Don't. Think.

"You seem stressed."

" **GAH!** "

She tried to leap away from the voice, only to land in a heap on the ground. Trixx stared at her from their spot in the nearby shrubbery. Both human and kwami were silent for a moment before Marinette let out a miserable groan and pulled herself up into a sitting position.

Facing the fox's direction but keeping her eyes cast downward, she admitted, "I'm a little overwhelmed."

Trixx hummed. "Understandable. It's a lot to take in when one has been tasked with facing off against the forces of evil."

Marinette shot a look up at their blasé tone, but nothing in the kwami's face implied they were being anything but 100% sincere.

"It's… about more than that. Don't get me wrong! Running into this Hawkmoth guy sounds really REALLY terrifying. But mostly… I think you guys have the wrong girl."

"Oh?" they prompted.

"C'mon," Marinette groaned. "Look at me! I'm having a panic attack just from talking about this, there's no way I could actually be any help for real. That's the way I am with _everything_. Completely useless. Even when I work harder than anyone else, things just go from bad to worse."

The kwami tilted their head. "Is it that bad?"

"It is. I hate to admit it, but it really is," she laughed sadly. "I don't know how long you guys have been watching, but obviously it wasn't long enough. You haven't even come close to seeing the real me."

"…Perhaps so."

Marinette flinched and peered up with wet eyes.

"I guess that means I'll need to hang around to see this "real you" then!"

She gaped. "Wait, what?"

Trixx giggled and flitted in close, tapping her nose playfully. "You said it yourself: we haven't known each other long enough. So, we must rectify that. But first, let's get you home. It's quite late for young folks to be out alone."

And with that, they flew away down the street.

"Hey… hey wait!" Marinette scrambled to her feet and took off after them. "That's not what I meant!"

* * *

 

Marinette groaned as she trudged after the lazily floating kwami. They had slowed down considerably once she had given up on trying to deny Trixx coming home with her.

"And you're sure that Fu won't mind us just taking off like that?"

"Mm, it'll be fine. Wayzz knows how I am, and he'll make sure Master Fu doesn't worry too much."

She sighed, though whether in relief or resignation, she wasn't sure. After a moment, she broached a topic that had been niggling at the back of her mind.

"Are you two close, then? Or is that just a kwami thing?"

Trixx paused and glanced back at her, a pleased smile inching up their face. "Noticed that, did you?" They turned back to continue forward, raising their voice a bit to carry. "Yes, Wayzz and I became quite close over the centuries. A bit hard not to, considering."

"Considering?"

"Well, after Nooroo and Duusu went missing, the Guardians were always leery of letting too many of us out. I'd go several decades without wielders before, but after that, I was hardly ever let out at all."

They chuckled, nostalgia clear in their voice.

"I remember hounding Wayzz for stories every time he got to rest between Guardians. He'd be exhausted and ready for a nap, but he'd always give in and tell me everything he could about the outside world. It became a good way to pass the time."

Marinette came forward, a tilt to her head. "Why?"

The fox 'hmm'ed at her, confused at the question.

"I mean, why didn't you get out as much? I don't know anything about your powers, but you really seem like you can handle anything that comes your way."

They chuckled, this time more energetically. "Ah. Well, that's as much to do with my wielders as with me. My powers are far less direct, requiring both forethought and adaptability. Naturally, I would want my wielders to slow down and think, and I'm afraid most people just don't have the patience for my methods."

"Oh."

"Now, don't be discouraged! I wouldn't have chosen you if I didn't think you and I would work well together."

"Oh! Oh no, it wasn't anything like that," she assured. "I was just thinking it seems–" _Lonely._ "–a shame. I think it'd be really nice to stop for a moment and consider your options before leaping headfirst into things. I wish more people would let me do that."

"Hm. Well, thank you. It's always refreshing to hear that sort of thing."

Marinette wanted to say something more, but then she caught sight of her house, with her father standing on the doorstep.

Without prompting, Trixx flew into her purse to hide, and Marinette steeled herself before marching forward to face her no doubt furious parents.

* * *

 

After half an hour of bearing with her parents' lectures (interrupted every five minutes with relieved, bone-crushing hugs), Marinette was finally able to escape to her room.

She took a moment to usher her kwami hitchhiker out of her purse before flinging it and her blazer onto her chaise lounge. She wasted no time afterwards changing into pajamas and climbing up to her bed.

Trixx 'ooh'ed and 'aah'ed as they wandered around her room, finally taking it in now that she wasn't trying to throw things at them.

She wanted so badly to just close her eyes and go straight to sleep, but Fu's voice kept repeating over and over in her head.

"Hey, Trixx?" she called quietly.

The fox flew up to the loft and settled on her bed. "Yes, Marinette?"

"What did he–What did Fu mean by Hawkmoth infecting people?"

"Ah." At the question, Trixx deflated. "Well, when a Butterfly wielder is strong enough, they can imbue people with a strong power befitting their desires. Hawkmoth is obviously strong enough to have done that several times now."

The fox shook their little head in upset. "The problem is that when Hawkmoth is doing so, he makes sure that the person is affected by strong, negative emotions. It corrupts their desires into something malevolent, making them willing to hurt anyone that gets in the way of achieving theirs–and therefore Hawkmoth's–goals."

"That's so messed up!" Marinette cried out. "Are they stuck like that forever?"

"Oh no, Hawkmoth _has_ to release them after a while. Drains his power, otherwise. But the things they did while under his influence remain."

She hugged a pillow tight against her. "So… if they hurt someone…"

" _All_ damage remains," Trixx affirmed. "To things and to people. There's a couple of Miraculous that can fix damage, but they're all missing, so…" they shrugged.

Marinette shot up in bed and scowled at the kwami. "Then what _can_ we do?"

"We can find the others. We can find the other Miraculous, and we can find wielders for them–and then we can find Hawkmoth." A tension began to fill the room as the fox's voice grew stronger. "And when we find him, we can rescue Nooroo too. And stop Hawkmoth for good."

Trixx floated up to hover in front of her, purple eyes staring deep into hers.

"There are a great many things we _can_ do, Marinette. But only you can decide if we _will_."

Marinette turned to gaze down at her open palms, considering. Out of the corner of her eye, she caught sight of her old class photos. Kim and Juleka, Max and Rose–they'd been in the same class together for years now.

Her eyes moved to her phone and turned it on to look at her new lock screen. She'd just met Alya, but she already felt like she'd known her her whole life.

And then she looked at Trixx. Patient, friendly Trixx, who let her talk and answered all her questions and wasn't put off even when she admitted she would be useless. Who was passed over countless times for _centuries_ but still seemed so sure they would be up to the task.

Her hands curled into fists and her brow furrowed, she nodded to herself before focusing back on Trixx.

"I don't know if I can really be any help," Marinette started, voice steady, "but I will try."

A delighted smile stretched wide across Trixx's face. "I knew you'd be up for it! Oh, don't worry, Marinette, you are going to be an amazing Fox!"

She laughed as the kwami continued to effuse about her future as the Fox hero, excitedly twirling around her room at ridiculous speeds.

Suddenly overtaken by exhaustion, she slumped back onto her pillows and let her eyes drift shut, a small smile on her own face.

Maybe this would turn out okay.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> So, partially this was me spite-writing because of how little Tikki actually explains to Marinette in the beginning (or ever, really) and how pushy she is when Marinette is clearly overwhelmed.
> 
> I admit I went overboard with it, but I like how Trixx came out, personally. Trixx honestly stole the show.
> 
> And yes, I replaced "Illusion" with "Knowledge." I don't care what canon says, you can't make the main heroes' powers Creation and Destruction with a clearly taoist design and way OP powers and then have the next tier down from them have such cheap, one-off powers that don't even fit thematically. ("Based off Wu Xing," my ass.)
> 
> Next chapter will finally get some action going again.
> 
> Leave a comment if you like.


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